The start of good unbreakable machine doll stories
by kkalinowski
Summary: A piece i had commissioned by Cheyennewriter


Josh Harrison was usually very easy to please. He wasn't after much and didn't crave too many extravagant things, and was content with most things in his life. There was part of him that felt like something might have been missing, though. It often left him feeling guilty and lonely, but the desire for it was still there. Josh just wanted friendship. Something deep and long lasting and pure and open. It was hard to meet people who he could describe as caring and kind, and Josh was sick of putting himself out there, only to be let down by people he once called friends.

It was the reason he bought a doll. Josh never thought he'd ever get one, and while he was a little surprised at himself for doing it, he still couldn't help but be happy knowing he had someone in his life he felt like he could trust. When his doll arrived on Friday afternoon, Josh couldn't help but feel ecstatic. She was a little shorter than him with a slender frame, and her dark, long hair contrasted greatly against her pale skin. She stared at Josh shyly, looking a little hesitant and worried, but Josh knew he was going to do his best to comfort her and make her feel welcome. He had big plans for them, and he wanted her to feel just as excited as he was.

"I'm so happy to meet you," said Josh softly. "What's your name?"

"My name's Holly," the pale skinned girl answered.

"Well, I'm Josh. Nice to meet you," he said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

She took his hand, her warm hand on his cold one, a small smile forming on her face. She seemed to relax when she relaised how soft spoken Josh was, and he watched as she let out a little breath of air she seemed to be holding in. She still looked at him a little wide eyed, but Josh could see some excitement in her face. He hoped she'd be excited about the plans he had.

Josh surprised Holly with the news a few weeks later, after she had adjusted to her new home and environment. She tilted her head at him first, like she was analysing his words to see if he was lying, but his smile didn't falter, nor did his words.

"This isn't a joke," said Josh with a smile and a shrug. "We're gonna travel the world together. We're gonna see everything you and I have ever wanted to see."

"Really?" Holly asked, still looking in shock. "Please tell me you're not just messing with me."

"I wouldn't joke about something like this. We're gonna have so much fun, and see so many things we'd never thought we'd see. Are you excited?" Josh asked, his smile widening as he stared at Holly.

She went from looking confused to absolutely ecstatic in the matter of seconds, and soon she wrapped her arms around Josh, pulling him in close as she stayed clinging to his neck. She let out an excited squeal into his skin, and Josh laughed at her reaction, making sure he held her close with his own arms. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just embracing each other and taking each other in. Josh couldn't remember the last time he was so happy, and just seeing the look on Holly's face was enough to give him butterflies in his stomach. He just loved seeing that wide, bright smile on her face.

"Ooh, where are we going first?" Asked holly as she pulled away from Josh. "What's first on your list?"

"I was hoping you'd pick. What do you wanna see?"

"Oh, no no, you pick, Josh," said Holly, shaking her head. "You organised this whole thing. I don't want to overstep or anything."

Josh couldn't help but smile at Holly's hesitance. She was a good friend who was honest, and she just wanted the best for Josh. She was putting his happiness first, and it was so obvious that Holly had a heart of gold.

"Honestly, Holly, I want you to pick. Any country, any city… Have at it," said Josh with a small shrug.

Holly tilted her head at Josh before letting out a little sigh. It looked like she was holding something in, like she knew a place but was worried about saying it, but she slowly parted her pink lips and let the word slip out.

"Paris?" Holly said softly. "I know it's kind of a cliché place to visit… But I've heard so many good things about it. We don't have to go if you don't want to, though!" Holly let out, worry taking over her face.

"Paris it is," Josh said simply.

"I cannot believe we're here," said Holly in a whisper. She was looking up at the Eiffel Tower in complete awe, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted as she gasped. She craned her neck to get a good view of the tower, and Josh couldn't help but smile at his friend. She looked like a little kid in a toy store, all excited and red faced.

"Well, believe it! We're gonna be seeing a lot more places too!" Josh replied, wrapping his hand around her shoulder as she looked at the tower. It was huge and a little daunting, and while he had never been that keen on visiting Paris, he soon changed when his mind when he touched down in the City of Love. When he saw the sight of Holly's face and was able to take in the look of total wonder, he knew he had made the right decision. Paris was definitely going to bring them some good memories.

"Ooh, look at that bakery!" Said Holly suddenly, pointing over to the side.

There was a long line of restaurants and bakeries, but Josh instantly knew which one she was talking about. The bakery was painted in a pastel pink colour, and in the window were dozens and dozens of pastries. As they stepped closer, Josh couldn't help but lick his lips at all the eclairs and slices of cake he could see. Everything looked delicious, and Holly clapped her hands excitedly, looking over at Josh with almost pleading eyes.

"Can we go in? Pretty please?" She asked, hands clasped together.

Josh didn't know why she was begging. He'd always say yes to his friend.

"You don't have to ask, Holly," said Josh with a chuckle. "Come on, let's go in and overdose on some sugar."

The two stepped inside and were immediately hit with a feeling of warmth. The smell of baked bread was in the air, but Josh could also smell cream and chocolate and coffee. It was nice and cosy in the bakery, and the two friends sat down in the corner of the shop, waiting excitedly for a waiter. They ordered macaroons and hot chocolate and they arrived not too soon later.

"This looks so yummy," let out Holly, staring at the food and drinks. "I can't believe we're eating in a bakery in _Paris_. This feels so surreal."

"Well, time to snap out of it," laughed Josh. "Because this is definitely happening, and it definitely isn't a dream."

"I know, I'm just… So happy this has been with you, Josh. I'm so happy we met each other," she said with a sigh, her big eyes slowly trailing up to meet Josh's. "I'm so glad we're friends. These past few weeks have really been great."

Josh couldn't help but smile at her words. She looked a little teary eyed, probably overwhelmed from all the travelling and just being in Paris, and Josh let his hand rest on top of her own. He gave it a squeeze, and it seemed to be enough to get her to relax and settle down, because she let out some air and nodded before digging into her chocolate macaroon.

All Josh wanted was for Holly to be happy, and he was glad he was doing just that.

They spent a few more days in Paris before taking off to Italy. They were met with the hot sun, but it would cool down in the night, and they'd get to enjoy a nice summer breeze. It was relaxing and not as busy as Paris, so Josh and Holly felt a little more content in their new environment.

They had spent the day at Alfami Coast, dipping their feet into the sand and letting the waves wash the grains off. When they arrived back at their hotel one of the receptionists approached Josh with a letter, and he opened it up when they got back to their room.

It was an invitation from Walpurgis Academy, inviting him to go and study with them. Josh looked at the invitation quizzically, flipping it over and taking in all the words. He had heard of the school and knew how many people struggled with the classes, but he couldn't pass on such a great opportunity.

Josh felt so nervous attending his first class. He looked at the students around him, taking in the sight of people he hoped would be welcoming. He was in his Machine Arts Medicine class, tapping his pen lightly on the desk as butterflies took over his stomach. He wondered how Holly was doing. He had brought her long and she was currently wondering around campus, excited by the building and how old it looked.

The professor walked in with a stern look on his face, the man's dark eyes scanning the crowd of students with a glare. "Good morning," said the man, though he didn't sound all that welcoming or encouraging. "A warning to you all: I won't go easy on you just because it's your first day."

Gulping, Josh sunk down in his chair a little, worried about what this class would bring.

He hoped everyone else would be a little nicer.

"Um, hi there," said a dark haired boy, waving at Josh. Next to him was a blonde boy, who sent Josh a friendly smile.

Josh was sitting in the cafeteria, just about to take a bite into his sandwich. He was sitting alone and was feeling rather embarrassed about it, but tried not to show it.

"Hey," Josh replied, slightly taken aback. He wasn't sure who the boy was. "Sorry if this is weird, but we saw that you were sitting alone and wondered if you wanted some company. We were sitting behind you in Machine Arts Medicine. You probably didn't see us."

"Oh, sure, take a seat!" Said Josh with a smile.

"My name's Eric," said the boy with darker hair.

"And I'm Tom," said the blonde boy.

"Nice to meet you both. You guys are first year students too then?" Josh asked.

"Yeah," answered Tom. "We've been feeling nervous about making friends and fitting in and stuff, and we thought we'd be nice and say hello to you. Hope it's okay."

"It's fine," Josh smiled. "I appreciate it, actually. I was worried about the same thing."

"Well, we can all stick together then. And deal with our crazy Machine Arts Medicine professor as a team," Eric said, raising his eyebrows.

Josh laughed before taking a bite of his sandwich. He was so happy he found some guys to make him feel more at home.

Josh went back to his dorm room with a smile. Eric and Tom were following closely behind him. They were sharing a dorm, and Josh couldn't be happier with the fact. It was so much easier to feel comfortable and settle into the school knowing he already made some friends. Eric was super friendly, and Tom was really funny, so Josh knew he was going to end up loving the two guys.

Laying down on his bed as Eric and Tom joked and laughed beside him, he let out a sigh of content. He couldn't believe what his life what turned into. He couldn't be happier getting into Walpurgis, he had Tom and Eric as friends, and he had Holly in his life. The boys excused themselves from the room, taking off outside as they wanted to explore the castle some more.

Just as Josh was about to get up to find Holly, she entered his dorm with a small grin on her face.

"Hey there," she greeted, sitting at the end of his bed. "How was your first day?"

"It started off not too great, but I met some nice guys and things turned around," said Josh, his hands behind his head. "Did you have fun today?"

"Yeah, this castle is gorgeous. I can spend months and months just exploring everything here."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," sighed Josh happily. "I'm glad we're both settling in here good."

"I wouldn't want to be here with anyone else, Josh."

Josh couldn't help but smile at Holly's kind words. She hadn't changed a bit since they first met, and was just as sweet and kind.

"Me too, Holly, me too."


End file.
